The present invention relates to an information search method and apparatus, and a computer readable storage medium which stores a program for searching and displaying information.
Conventionally, as a scheme for searching a storage unit, which stores a collection of images as test information, by inputting a query condition, calculating the matching level or match rate between each information and the query condition, and displaying a plurality of pieces of information as search results on the basis of the calculated matching levels, a scheme for displaying a plurality of pieces of search result information in a two- or three-dimensional space so that search results with higher matching levels are displayed at positions closer to the origin of that space, i.e., the matching levels of the search results can be easily visually recognized, is used, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-339375.
In the conventional information search apparatus, when a query condition can be accurately expressed, desired search results can be obtained by a search based on such query condition. However, when the information wanted is abstract and a query condition cannot be accurately expressed, it is hard to obtain desired search results by a search based only on the query condition.
In the aforementioned prior art, when there are a large number of pieces of information that satisfy the query condition, a large number of search results are displayed on a region for displaying the search results, and it is difficult to see each retrieved information.
Furthermore, in the above-mentioned conventional method, since the rate of change between the display distance, which is indicated by the number of dots on a display device, and the matching level is fixed, a plurality of pieces of search result information cannot be efficiently displayed on a limited region for displaying search results in correspondence with the distribution of matching levels of those search result information.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an information search apparatus and method, which can solve the conventional problems and can improve operability, or a storage medium.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information search apparatus comprising: query condition input means for inputting a query condition; storage means for storing a plurality of image data which undergo a search; first similarity calculation means for calculating similarity values between the query condition and the individual image data by comparing the query condition with each image data stored in the storage means; first search result display means for displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by the first similarity calculation means; image selection means for selecting a specific image from the image data displayed as the search results by the first search result display means; second similarity calculation means for calculating similarity values between the specific image selected by the image selection means and the plurality of image data stored in the storage means; and second search result display means for displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by the second similarity calculation means.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information search method comprising: the query condition input step of storing a plurality of image data which undergo a search, and inputting a query condition; the first similarity calculation step of calculating similarity values between the query condition and the individual image data by comparing the query condition with each stored image data; the first search result display step of displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated in the first similarity calculation step;
the image selection step of selecting a specific image from the image data displayed as the search results in the first search result display step; the second similarity calculation step of calculating similarity values between the specific image selected in the image selection step and the plurality of stored image data; and the second search result display step of displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated in the second similarity calculation step.
According to the present invention, there is provided a computer readable storage medium which stores a program for searching and displaying information, the program including: a code of a query condition input process for inputting a query condition; a code of a storage process for storing a plurality of image data which undergo a search; a code of a first similarity calculation process for calculating similarity values between the query condition and the individual image data by comparing the query condition with each stored image data; a code of a first search result display process for displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by the first similarity calculation process;
a code of an image selection process for selecting a specific image from the image data displayed as the search results by the first search result display process; a code of a second similarity calculation process for calculating similarity values between the specific image selected by the image selection process and the plurality of stored image data; and a code of a second search result display process for displaying search results on the basis of the similarity values calculated by the second similarity calculation process.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information search method for searching an information storage unit, which stores a plurality of pieces of information which undergo a search, using an input query condition, and displaying information which satisfies the query condition as a search result, comprising: the matching level calculation step of calculating a matching level as a degree to which the query condition is satisfied by comparing each information stored in the information storage unit with the query condition; the display range determination step of determining and storing a range of the matching level to be displayed as the search result; the search result display step of defining a display position of information which perfectly satisfies the query condition as a perfect match display position, determining a distance from the perfect match display position to a display position of information as the search result in correspondence with the matching level of the information, and displaying information falling within the range determined in the display range determination step; and the display range change step of changing the display range stored in the display range determination step.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information search apparatus for searching an information storage unit, which stores a plurality of pieces of information which undergo a search, using an input query condition, and displaying information which satisfies the query condition as a search result, comprising: matching level calculation means for calculating a matching level as a degree to which the query condition is satisfied by comparing each information stored in the information storage unit with the query condition; display range determination means for determining and storing a range of the matching level to be displayed as the search result; search result display means for defining a display position of information which perfectly satisfies the query condition as a perfect match display position, determining a distance from the perfect match display position to a display position of information as the search result in correspondence with the matching level of the information, and displaying information falling within the range determined by the display range determination means; and display range change means for changing the display range stored by the display range determination means.
According to the present invention, there is provided a computer readable storage medium which stores a program for searching an information storage unit, which stores a plurality of pieces of information which undergo a search, using an input query condition, and displaying information which satisfies the query condition as a search result, the program having a code of the step of controlling to calculate a matching level as a degree to which the query condition is satisfied by comparing each information stored in the information storage unit with the query condition; to determine and store a range of the matching level to be displayed as the search result; to define a display position of information which perfectly satisfies the query condition as a perfect match display position, determine a distance from the perfect match display position to a display position of information as the search result in correspondence with the matching level of the information, and display information falling within the determined range; and to change the stored display range.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information search apparatus for searching and displaying information, comprising: matching level calculation means for calculating a matching level as a degree to which information satisfies a query condition; scale mark display control means for displaying a scale indicating a change in matching level; and search result display control means for displaying information, which satisfies the query condition, on the basis of the matching level.
According to the present invention, there is provided an information search method applied to an information search apparatus for searching and displaying information, comprising: the matching level calculation step of calculating a matching level as a degree to which information satisfies a query condition; the scale mark display control step of displaying a scale mark indicating a change in matching level; and the search result display control step of displaying information, which satisfies the query condition, on the basis of the matching level.
According to the present invention, there is provided a computer readable storage medium which stores a program for searching and displaying information, the program having: a code of the matching level calculation step of calculating a matching level as a degree to which information satisfies a query condition; a code of the scale mark display control step of displaying a scale mark indicating a change in matching level; and a code of the search result display control step of displaying information, which satisfies the query condition, on the basis of the matching level.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the figures thereof.